Radio unites to air Ariana Grande concert live

Ariana Grande’s One Love Manchester benefit concert will be broadcast live on BBC Radio 1, Radio 2, 5 live, World Service, BBC Radio Manchester and commercial radio this Sunday.

The special event, taking place at Old Trafford Cricket Ground, will help raise money for the victims and the families affected by the terrorist attack on May 22nd.

Update 1: We’re getting further news on this breaking story about other radio groups also taking the concert live and we’ll update this article.

Update 2: All 16 stations owned by Celador: Breeze stations, Sam FM South Coast, Bristol and Swindon, Jack FM Berkshire as well as The Beach, North Norfolk, Dream 100, Radio Norwich and Town 102 will be taking the concert live.

Update 3: All Bauer City 1 Network stations will be taking the concert led by coverage from Key 103 in Manchester. National brands Magic, Absolute Radio, KISS and heat radio will also be broadcasting performance and interviews from featured artists along with promoting the donation details for the fund set up to help those affected. Dee Ford, Group Managing Director of Radio at Bauer Media told RadioToday: “It’s fantastic that the media industry is standing shoulder to shoulder to air this tribute concert and raise funds for the victims of this tragedy”

Update 4:In addition to Capital FM taking the concert in our original report, Global stations Heart, Radio X, Smooth, Capital XTRA and Gold are also taking the feed.

Update 5: All Wireless Group FM stations, plus Virgin Radio, will take the concert with Elliot Holman hosting the special show.

Update 6: The Bay and Lakeland Radio are both taking the Manchester concert as well.

The line-up includes Ariana Grande, Robbie Williams, Little Mix Justin Bieber, Coldplay, Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus, Pharrell Williams, Usher, Take That and Niall Horan. It will also be live on BBC One.

The show will appear just after the Vodafone Big Top 40 with Marvin Humes, replacing the Sunday Night Throwback and parts of JJ’s Sunday evening show on Capital, and will be on BBC Radio 1 instead of the Rock Show with Daniel P Carter. On Radio 2 it will replace Claudia Winkleman on Sunday.

On Monday 22 May, 22 people were killed and more than one hundred injured after an attack at the Manchester Arena following an Ariana Grande concert. The singer will now return to headline the One Love Manchester benefit concert in their honour.

Net proceeds will go to the We Love Manchester Emergency Fund set up by Manchester City Council in partnership with the British Red Cross. The fund will support those who have been injured or bereaved by the attack and has already raised £6 million. The City Council is now setting up a charity to urgently distribute the funds.

Ariana Grande said: “My heart, prayers and condolences are with the victims of the Manchester Attack and their loved ones. There is nothing I or anyone can do to take away the pain you are feeling or to make this better. However, I extend my hand and heart and everything I possibly can give to you and yours, should you want or need my help in any way.

“We will not quit or operate in fear. We won’t let this divide us. We won’t let hate win… Our response to this violence must be to come closer together, to help each other, to love more, to sing louder and to live more kindly and generously than we did before.”

“Music is meant to heal us, to bring us together, to make us happy. So that is what it will continue to do for us. We will continue to honour the ones we lost, their loved ones, my fans and all affected by this tragedy. They will be on my mind and in my heart everyday and I will think of them with everything I do for the rest of my life.”